Renaming Ayushman Bharat health facilities may cost Punjab ₹1,800 cr.
- Punjab has renamed Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres as ‘AAP clinics’.
- This has led to federal tussle between Centre and States.
Cost of Tussle to Punjab
- The Union government has withheld National Health Mission grants to the State to the tune of ₹621 crore.
- The Union government will withhold more than ₹1,800 crore under a separate scheme to provide capital investment assistance to States unless Punjab is prepared to comply with its branding rules.
- The Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS), meaning that it is funded by both Centre and State in a 60:40 ratio.
Branding violations
- AThe Punjab government had provided an “undertaking” on July 5, 2023, regarding full compliance with CSS branding guidelines.
- However, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reported a “violation” of these guidelines with respect to the Ayushman Bharat centres.
- The Punjab Government was expected to send the report on it by September 2023 but this never happened.
Capital Investment Proposals
- These proposals were given by the Centre Government to the Punjab Government.
- The scheme offers State governments a 50-year interest-free loan up to ₹1.3 lakh crore during 2023-24 in a bid to provide a boost capital spending by States.
Prelims Takeaway
- Ayushman Bharat Program